The Parley at Jerusalem(TGA)
The Parley at Jerusalem Participating: Crusading Kingdom: Lord Wesely Abassid: Prince Ismael Fatimid Caliph: Al-Mansur Grand Road: Commander Zhang *''The parley waits to be accepted.'' *'Prince Ismael V (Abassid Caliphate):' Christians of the west, you have already succeeded in uniting yourself under one religion. That I can compliment you on. You have done so in the matter of days, though you are separated by dozens of languages and customs. That is a great achievement as well. The Invasion of the Holy Land (whether it be for you or I), though, is a different story. The Caliphate has always welcomed Christian Pilgrims, should they choose to visit, into the Holy Land. Indeed, these pilgrims are the main source of wealth in Jerusalem and all of Israel. It has always allowed Christians and Jews to live in more or less equality in Egypt, Africa, Cordoba (Spain) and Asia Minor. And yet, you Christians are by no means representing your god in your wars. In Spain in the lands that you have freed, the norm is usually forced conversions or persecution as pagans. Your entry into the Holy Land has been marked by bloodbaths. Is this truly what the Prophet (Or, as you call him, Christ) Jesus preached when he said "Turn the Other Cheek"? Now, you people are neither Israelites nor Jews (indeed, you persecute Jews) and yet lay claim to a nation that, if the question was "who got there first", would lay rightly in the hands of the Jews. You have threatened the people here with Violence if they do not go with your version of Christianity--indeed, your pope is still bickering with the Byzantine Emperor about religious images and the like. If you simply want to make pilgrimages or to live in the Holy Land, do so by all means! But do not fill in the moats of these Holy Cities with the blood of Christians, Muslims and Jews, for that is neither what is preached in the Quran nor what is taught in the bible. *'Lord Wesely' We have fought in the name of the Lord himself and he has granted us many victories. We do not wish to convert everyone into Christians, if you follow a different path, then do so, the Lord will make that decision. We must repay the Lord by recapturing Jerusalem from the Seljuk Turks for they have attacked the once peaceful Holy City, threatened the safe passage of pilgrims, attack villages around the city, executed all that is not of Muslim origin and damaged the Holy Church where Jesus died. *'Prince Ismael V (Abassid Caliphate):' (OOC: For the record, those events such as the attack on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre occured in the 1070's. This is still the year 950, so these events you talk about actually haven't even occurred yet, the Seljuks at that time still a part of the Abbasid Caliphate.) The Seljuks will be punished by us, not by you. Allah has granted you the victories you have on thus far only because of what they have done. Nevertheless, you have had no reason for attacking and taking the Fatimid Caliphate (who have fought against the very Seljuks you seek to punish) in Egypt and Libya. The attack on Pilgrims is, very simply, financially damaging to us, and we have long since ceased the practice since the 600's, when Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab signed a treaty with the Patriarch Sophronius, assuring the protection of all Christians and Christian Holy Sites. We took Jerusalem in 638 with no bloodshed whatsoever by the consent of Patriarch Sophronius. All those who stayed were guaranteed protection, something we have made good on for more than 300 years. Because we can tax non-muslims, we have no financial motive for your ridiculous claims of oppression and oppressing nonbelievers...I assume that this is the work of those Minstrels you Christian Lords are fond of who put you under these beliefs. Under your control, you Christians drove out the Jews for whom this city is also a holy place, and it was up to us to let them back in. Are you prepared to do what the Romans did twice and the Babylonians once (and what we WEREN'T) prepared to do and make Jerusalem a bloodbath? Return home before both Muslim and Christian wives become widows and children become orphans. *'Lord Wesley': We refuse to leave the Holy City unless negotiations are to be made. Our terms are simple, you must show the proof of the punishment that has been brought forth towards the Seljuk Turks and send the Seljuk Turk chieftain to Great Britain , guarantee the safety of all Christian pilgrims and those who have chose to live within the walls of the Holy City and repair the damage and vandalism to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre made by the Seljuk Turks. If any of these terms are not met or broken, then we will immediately lay siege upon the Holy City with no question. We are ready to take back the Holy City in the name of the Lord himself, if there is to be a bloodbath, then it is the will of God and so be it. *'Commander Zhang': I am surprised that you give such high praise to the Holy City, and yet, you are willing to siege it and creat bloodshed for other gains. I and the Grand Nation do not see this as proper and we will stop you with whatever means we have. The Seljuk Turks are none of your buisness, We and the Abassid will take care of them. Go back to Britain, and leave the Holy City. A small army of Petre-Rifles and Ji Land-Troop has been sent to Jerusalem to intercept Gui. The Emperor wishes that the Holy City will not be controled by your kingdom. His Highness' wish will be enforced. *'Prince Ismael V (Abassid Caliphate):' Lord Wesley, we have long since guaranteed the safety of all Christian Pilgrims from the authorities, if you hadn't heard me just now. Needless to say, we are punishing rebellious elements of the Seljuks, considering that we are currently fighting a war with them (something that your needless invasion hasn't helped.). And yet, while we are fighting the very Seljuks you claim to destroy, you seize the lands of our allies in Africa and then force them into exile, even when we are establishing the punishment you haven't established. The Seljuks haven't simply attacked your Church--they have destroyed mosques as well, and we had to pay for the repairs on our own. Perhaps you need to, too. Your worries are unfounded, your threats slightly hollow, and your complaints exaggerated. Please Withdraw from the Holy Land. *'Lord Wesley': We in fact, have not forced your allies into exile for they still live in their motherland and have the right of freedom, and how can you say that Christian pilgrims have not been harmed? Are you able to guarantee that in the periods of time not even one Christian pilgrim has been harmed in a one way or another? Kind Edward himself has requested the Seljuk leader himself, alive. We damage the Holy City in the name of God, to repay the Lord, we must assure the safety of all that live there and prevent future vandalism on holy sites. We believe that in these few years, you easterners have not done a good job in preventing these things that are so important to the Holy Land. We will take control from now on, the responsibility should be ours. *'Commander Zhang': If it is Tugrul Beg that you search, than you shall have him. But in exchange you must leave the Holy City and never return in such a state of mind as to allow bloodshed and destruction in the very Jerusalem that you wish to protect. Monsieur La Fleur will be safely brought home. We will not however, call back Yun, for you must earn our trust. A scout has been sent to Yun to say that we wish the army set up camp. *'Prince Ismael V (Abassid Caliphate):' Lord Wesley, do not be ridiculous. Do YOU guarantee the safety of every traveler on your land, much less every pilgrim? In your Europe, you can hardly protect even your own villages from vikings. How dare you expect even more from us? Unless YOU can cut down the bandits and pogroms and attacks on Muslim AND CHRISTIAN traders in your nation, do not ask that we actively defend your people. You have deprived the muslim rulers chosen by the muslim people or their lands and made them subservient to your religion. And, of all things, what do you westerners know about "good jobs"? I can easily tell you all the Good Jobs you Westerners have done...for one, losing Rome and letting it get sacked by your own fellow Westerners. Twice. Burning the very Jerusalem you claim down. Twice (and soon to be Thrice at this rate). Persecuting Jews. Far more than Twice. Letting your own empire fall into ruin in Rome and the Holy Roman Empire. Twice. We have done a far better job than you in keeping Jerusalem, that is without doubt. There is a bible verse, I recall..."How can you say to your brother 'You have a speck in your eye' when you yourself have a Plank in your own eye?" This seems to fit this situation perfectly. You are fighting in unfriendly territory, in a precarious situation against two large nations that have been united far longer than your mere months. Even if your god graces you with victory, he will also grant you enough bodies of your men to climb up to the walls of Jerusalem itself, and even then, your victory will only be temporary. Kindly do not test my patience. Category:The Golden Age